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2007 Vulcan 500 Ltd - First bike

Bought my first bike in March 09 and thought I'd pass along my comments about it as a first bike.

I'm a new rider even though I'm in my early 50's. Wife finally relented. Took the MSF class in 2008. Bike in the class was a Honda Rebel. Since I planned on riding to work (about 25 miles each way), I wanted something a little bigger and heavier so I opted for a Vulcan 500 Ltd. The local dealer had 09 models but they also had gotten a shipment of new 07 models of various Kawa's, including a black 500. I saved a chunk of change (and got black as opposed to the red of the new models) and took one. So far, I've put almost 2000 miles on it. Two oil changes (second one I did myself) and one 600 mile checkup.

The 500 is a cruiser with a 498cc engine with a six speed transmission. You won't win any speed records with it but it is very stable and easy to maneuver. I routinely ride 70 on the highway. After the break in period, of course. The bike weighs in at about 440lbs dry weight so even a lightweight like me can push it around the garage.

The transmission is pretty smooth. Only beef I have is that sometimes, if you have to do a fast stop from high speed, make sure you get it all down into first otherwise, you'll need to monkey it around to get moving around in second gear.

The shift pedal is a little close to the left peg, in both height and forward distance so you need shoes/boots without high toes. A problem is shares with the Honda Rebel. If you're long-legged, you might find the position of the pegs push your knees up too much. My son's a bit taller than me and he found it uncomfortable. For me, it works fine, even on long rides.

Gauges and controls are easy to read and reach. Speedo is mounted on the tank. There's no tach so you gotta figure out when to shift by sound alone. Takes some getting used to but as I didn't have a tach in the MSF class, it's the only way I've ever known. The engine, a de-tuned Ninja 500 engine, is pretty quiet so it can be hard to tell when to shift when you're wearing a full helmet. No gas gauge but it does have a trip odometer.

The 500 is comfortable to ride. The seat gets a little uncomfortable after you've been on it for a while so you might want to invest in an Airhawk or gel cushion. I don't like the seat buttons on 07 model...newer models don't have them.

Gas mileage is excellent. Stated mileage from Kawasaki is 50mpg. Since most of my riding is highway, I get about 58mpg!

I've already done some customizing, starting with getting the OEM windshield. I've also put on Kuryakyn ISO grips (an easy 20 minute job), throttle boss and a small clock on the handlebars. I highly recommend a throttle boss...it'll save your hand from cramping as much.

While the 500 doesn't have as many custom parts available as some other bikes, you can find them, both OEM parts and from third parties. I highly recommend Paul Andreasen's Motorcycle Mods Page for some cook mods. http://www.en500.us/. He's got a good mod for easing the close shifter problem by using a shifter from a Yamaha Banshee ATV. Pretty cool.

Anyway, I really like my bike. While I'm sure I'll want something a little more powerful and heavier for my next one, the 500 is a great starter bike. Fun to ride, very forgiving and a great value.